Silky pocket mouse
Silk pocket mouse
The silk pocket mouse ( Perognathus flavus ) is a common species of the family of pocket mice, which is found in the deserts of North America.
Features
The soft fur is light brown on the body top and belly white colored. The body length is 10-12 cm, tail length 4-6 cm. On her feet she allow thick pads made of soft hair which prevent burns and better movement on the soft desert sand. To move forward, it uses all 4 feet or just the hind legs. To transport the food you serve the thick cheek pouches.
Distribution and habitat
Its distribution area are the drylands of the United States of Wyoming, there maybe extinct until Texas and Mexico.
Way of life
She lives alone in self- dug underground construction, which leaves them only to search for food, especially seeds, but also insects. She lays like all pocket mice to large stocks, which they hoard in their construction. The animals are site- faithful and defend their territory vigorously against foreign counterparts. The life expectancy is up to 2 years.
Reproduction
The reproductive period of this species lasts from April to June and from August to September. The litter of the female is up to 4 boy, they leave the parental construction in an age of 3 weeks for the first time.
Inventory and risk
Since the species is widespread, classifies the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources ( IUCN) this species as not at risk ( LC, Least Concern ) a. A subspecies ( Perognathus flavus goodpastori ), which occurs only in Arizona is at risk because they are very scattered and occurs in a very small area.
Swell
- Philip Whitfield (ed.): The great empire of the animals. 2000 mammals, birds, fish, reptiles and amphibians at a glance. Marshall, London 1992, ISBN 3-8247-8614-1, pp. 162-163 ( translation from English ).
- David Macdonald (ed.): Encyclopedia of Mammals. Könemann in tandem ET -GmbH, King Winter 2003, ISBN 3-89731-928-4, pp. 666-667 ( translation from English: Dr. Eva Dempewolf, Christiane Gsänger etc.).